LITURGICAL YUSIC , Tn Anglican CZ3enedictine;, Monasticism DOM DAVID NICHOLSON, O.S.B. Monk of Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon U.S.A. Contents Introduction 5 Elmore Abbey (Formerly Nashdom Abbey), Berks, England 7 Alton Abbey, Hants, England 9 St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, Michigan, U.S A 10 St. Mark's Priory, Camperdown, Victoria, Australia 12 Edgware Abbey, Middlesex, England 15 St. Mary's Abbey,Kent, England 16 Burford Priory, Oxon, England 18 Holy Cross Convent, Rempstone, England 20 St. Hilda's Priory, Sneaton Castle, Whitby, N. Yorkshire, England 24 Community of St. Peter the Apostle, Glos. England 26 St. Peter's Convent, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England 27 Order of the Holy Cross, Berkeley, California, U.S A 29 Ewell Monastery, West Mailing, Kent, England (Cistercian) 31 For Burnham (House of Prayer) Slough, England (Cistercian) 32 Russell Savage, Assistant Organist, St. James (Anglican) Church, Vancouver, British Columbia. Assistant Organist, Westminster Abbey, Mission, British Columbia, Canada. ©1990 Mount Angel Abbey, St. Benedict Oregon 97373 Introduction This volume follows, in natural sequence, the series: Liturgical Music in andBenedictine women in Monasticism. the Canterbury Although Communion there are which not a great base numbertheir life of on monasteries the Rule of St. of men Benedict, they are a witness to the monastic calling. in severalEach cases,Monastery where was I was asked not ableto explain to compile its historical sufficient and information liturgical modus I gathered vivendi, this from but GordonThe Benedictine Beattie, O.S.B., and CistercianR.A.F., monk Monastic of Ampleforth Yearbook (1990) Abbey. edited by Rev. Dom I wish to thank all who contributed to this work. May it be a primary source of Benedictineinformation for wayall who of life. live under the Rule of St. Benedict or who are interested in the Dom David Nicholson, O.S.B. Monk of Mount Angel Abbey St. Benedict, Oregon, U.S.A. Etmore Abbey (Formerly Nashatom)Anglican Diocese of Oxford Elmore Abbey, Church Lane, Speen Newbury, Berks, RG13England. 1SA, ELMORE ABBEY, Speen, is situated on the edge of Newbury, a market town sixty miles west of London and twenty miles south of Oxford. The community was founded at Pershore in Worcestershire in 1914 and moved to Nashdom Abbey in Buckinghamshire in 1926, and in 1987 was re-established at Elmore. The house was consecrated on Holy Cross day, 14th September 1987, an important day in the Rule, marking as it does the change from Summer to Winter schedule. We venture to hope that this signified a new start - perhaps, unlike the climatic change, amove in the opposite direction! There are signs of new life and growth. The second anniversary of that dedication was marked by a solemn profession and we have one novice and a postulant with several other young men asking to join the noviciate. Our founding abbot, Dom Denys Prideaux, was a man of much learning and wide reading, whose knowledge of monastic history and literature enabled him to give his community a sound doctrinal basis, This was the more important because we were founded, not from a parent monastery, but, as it were, from scratch. Dom Deny's learning Benedictinealso enabled way him of to winlife which acceptance had been within so potent the Anglican a force in Church the past for history the resumption of this country. of the The community has been the home of two monk-scholars of distinction. One was andDom editor Anseim of the Hughes, first volume musicologist of the Oxford and a pioneer History inof the Music: study he of died early in 1974.medieval The other,harmony better known, was Dom Gregory Dix, a liturgical scholar whose great work, The Shape of the Liturgy, published in 1944, has influenced eucharistic worship far beyond the confines of the Anglican Church, and is still widely read. at Nashdom.In 1939 a They group returned of clergy home of the American to found what Episcopal is now Church St. Gregory's trained in Abbey, the noviciate Three Rivers, Michigan. A close relationship, without legal expression, is maintained between the two houses. Since moving to Elmore the monks here, on Sundays and major feasts, attend as Onparishioners other days the conventual church of St. Mass Mary is the celebrated Virgin, Speen. in the This oratory; is next doorit continues to the monastery. after the Benedictus at Lauds on each weekday at 8:00, except on Thursdays when it is combined with Vespers at 18:00. For many years the Mass and Office were in Latin, use being made of the Missale Rornanumworship of and our the community, Breviarium Anglican Monasticum. as it was, At should that time be in it line was with felt theimportant current practice that the in Roman Catholic monasteries; this was agreed by Anglican authority. Now the situation has changed radically Broadly speaking, with the omission of Prime, the Office is much as laid down by St. Benedict in the rule, the day hours being maintained with little modification. The Sunday psalmodyassigned to remains the night the office, same. being On weekdaysrecited in two the weeksPrime instead psalms areof one. combined The lessons with those are fromlesson the is takenDivine from Office, the as Anglicanare the hymns lectionary. and chapters Compline etc., except is as the that Rule at Vespers directs; English aGospel is theused, psalms except are for read the by Anthem solo voice in honour by the monksof Our Lady,in turn; which all other remains offices in are Latin. sung At to simpleMatins chants. 7 Afton Abbey Anglican Diocese of Winchester Alton, Hants.,Alton GU34 Abbey, 4AP England. The Community was founded in 1884, with its object being charitable and religious works among seamen, especially those employed in the mercantile marine. The first Priory was at Calcutta and another was opened at Barry Docks, South Wales in 1893. Two years later the mother house was established near Alton in Hampshire, and in 1899 a third Priorythe death at Greenwich. of the founder, All Rev. these Charles small daughter Hopkins houses (1861-1922), closed downthe work eventually has been concen- and since trated at Alton Abbey. whenThe the Community new constitutions formally received adopted ratification the Rule from of St. the Benedict Visitor. on 28th January 1981 Seamen'The Community s Friendly Society does occasionalof St. Paul parishis directed work, by retreat the Abbey work and some missions. The In 1988 an important constitutional change was introduced after much thought, takenprayer to and permit discussion. the possibility The decision, of the election subsequently of a lay sanctioned abbot. In the by ensuing our Bishop election Visitor, this waswas in fact what happened: Dom Basil Matthews was elected, then blessed and installed by the Visitor. Though such a procedure is not in accordance with the Codex Juris Canonici, it was decision.that of primitive Benedictine practice. Experience has confirmed the wisdom of our In addition to the resident community of monks there is an extended confraternity of aboutmodified 350 form men of andthe monastic women, commitment. clerical and lay, Each married keeps a and rule single. of life which These is agreedundertake with a the abbot and adapted to the needs of the individual. They share the apostolic work of the sacredcommunity, liturgy, whose counselling, aim is evangelisation spiritual direction within and the comfort. Church by means of prayer and the St, Gregory's AbbeyEpiscopal Diocese of Western Michigan Benedictine Thesaurus, using the plan which provides for reciting the Psalter each week. St. Gregory's Abbey, 56500 Abbey Road, Biblical texts follow the Jerusalem Bible; canticles are the contemporary versions from the Three Rivers, Michigan, USA 49093-9595 Book of Common Prayer whenever they are provided there. ST. GREGORY'S ABBEY had its beginning in 1939, when a small group of All singing is done without accompaniment, since there is no organ in the Abbey American priests of the Episcopal Church returned from England, where they had been Church.the office Guests and to join are encouragedin singing hymns to follow from the the text Hymnal of the psalter when they (music are used. is not Theprovided) music at trained in the monastic life at Nashdom Abbey, a Benedictine community in the Church program is a modest one, intended to provide the worship in the Abbey Church with of England. They first settled at Valparaiso, Indiana, established as a dependent priory of fitting music in the Benedictine tradition without overtaxing the musical abilities of the Nashdom. In 1947 the monks moved to a small farm in the countryside five miles west of monks, few of whom have had much musical training. Threecommunity Rivers, and Michigan. the purchase Over of adjacent the following land increased years, other the community's monks were holdings added to the to 600 acres of rolling farm fields and woods. Additions were soon made to the farm house, and in the early 1950's a spacious church and a monastery were built. In 1969 the priory extensivebecame an building independent program abbey took and the elected form of its a first guest abbot. house In with 1989 ten the rooms, first stage replacing in an a quonset hut which had been attached to the farm house in the late 1940's. From the first, the aim of the community was to devote itself to the offering of worshipbeen mainly to God, from making members any of other the Episcopal activity secondary.Church wishing Support to encourage of the community the contempla- has tive monastic life within the church. The community has remained small, nearly always theless 1970's. than 20, Some and its monkseffort toward of the self-support community by accept farming a had limited finally number to be abandoned of outside in engagements, and the abbey receives many guests for private and group retreats.